The Empire of China furnishes a subject of investigation, highly deserving the attention of the antiquarian and the philosopher; and one which, in proportion as it has been little attempted, affords the ampler field for research. It may in some measure be considered as a reproach to this country, that, notwithstanding our having a much greater interest in the subject, we should have permitted the learned of France and of Germany to anticipate us on many points of inquiry: although the labours of the last twenty years, and more especially of the last ten, have gone far towards giving us the first place in the ranks of Chinese literature; and much more may be expected from the future.

The Hindus, as is well known, possess various ancient systems of philosophy, which, they consider to be orthodox, as consistent with the theology and metaphysics of the Védas; and have likewise preserved divers systems deemed heretical, as incompatible with the doctrines of their holy books.

Ching, the Foo-yuen, has issued a very long proclamation, exhorting the people, under his government, to, industry, and to the practice of all the social virtues. He states his object in eight words: it is, he says, to

“Encourage Industry,

Establish Education,

Praise Virtue, and

Repress Vice.”

The effect of which “he hopes will Jbe tranquillity amongst the poor, and the prevalence of good manners and customs.”

In Calcutta, you desired that I would procure, and send to you, some Sheep of the Isle of Ormus, should it be in my power; which, however, it has not been. This circumstance impressed me with an idea of your conceiving the introduction of that animal into Great Britain, likely to prove beneficial to her agricultural and manufacturing concerns; and, by a natural inference, leads to a belief, that a communication respecting the domestic animals of a country, new to Europeans, may not be wholly without interest.

Sirmór is bounded, on the north by Bisér, from which it is divided by the river Páber; on the west by Hindūr and the Barah Tukrái, or twelve districts; on the south by the Sikh possessions; and on the east by Gerhwál, and the river Jumna. It is divided into Pergunahs, and each Pergunah into Pattis. The head of a Patti is styled a Siana, and is responsible to the Government for its revenues. Some villages are possessed by the tenure of military service. Náhen is the capital, once a flourishing town.

The four divisions of Hindus, viz. the Priests, Soldiers, Merchants, and Labourers, appear to have existed in every human society, at a certain stage of civilization; but in India alone have they been maintained, for several thousand years, with prescriptive rigour. The mixture of races, caused by the operation of human passions (beyond the power of rules to controul), which in most countries has tended to destroy such distinctions among the four primitive classes, has in India only extended to an indefinite number of tribes, or castes, exclusive customs and privileges, of which the lowest are as tenacious as the highest.

In the preceding essay, the Sánc'hya, theistical as well as atheistical, was examined. The. subject of the present essay, will be the dialectic philosophy of Gótama, and atomical of Canáde, respectively called Nyáya “ reasoning, ” and Vaiśéshica “particular.” The first, as its- title implies, is chiefly occupied with the metaphysics of logic; the second with physics: that is, with “particulars” or sensible objects: and hence its name. They may be taken generally, as parts of one system: supplying each other's deficiencies: commonly agreeing upon such points as are treated by both: yet on some differing; and therefore giving origin to two schools, the Naiyáyica, and Vaiśéshica.

Among the objects of Natural History, which attracted the attention, and excited the wonder of the followers of Alexander the Great, when that illustrious conqueror Carried his victorious arras across the Indus, was the Banyan, or Indian Fig-Tree. It is well known that that extraordinary man, whose talents, as well as achievements, have certainly no parallel in history, was generally imbued with a love of science, and, as Pliny expresses it, inflamed with a passion for Natural History.* To his great preceptor, Aristotle, he had delegated the care of digesting, and elucidating, the vast materials that were collected, in the king's progress through a quarter of the globe, which, to the inhabitants of Europe, was absolutely a new world.

The Inscription, of which I have the honour to present a copy and translation to the Society, is a memorial of an important period in the History of India, especially that part familiarly, though restrictively, denominated Hindust'hán. To define the limits of this somewhat vague application, is of no great moment; but I believe it is generally to be understood as denoting the space between the mountains of Himálaya and the Nermadá river, north and south: a line in the meridian of the source of this river at Ameracantac, passing through Prayág, and meeting the great northern chain, forms the eastern limit; and westward, towards the Indus, it comprehends all the tracts within the limits of cultivation. This is generally understood to be Hindust'hán proper.

What the profound observer, quoted above, pronounced generally of fiction, is peculiarly pertinent, when applied to the Hindus. The history of their progress, in the arts of civilized life, is so clouded with mythology, and overcast by time, that our efforts to penetrate the obscurity, have been hitherto of little avail. As the mind, therefore, has little substantial gratification to expect, from this branch of intellectual enjoyment, it may be permitted to indulge in the shadows, that are abundantly presented, and dwell with more interest, than the subject would otherwise excite, on the copious materials afforded by the mass of Hindu fable, within its reach.

Dr. Buchanan Hamilton, while engaged in statistical researches in the provinces subject to the government of Bengal, gave attention to the antiquities of the country, as to other scientific objects, which he had the opportunity of investigating. His reports, comprising the result of his inquiries, are deposited in the Library and Museum of the East India Company: and, at his instance, the Court of Directors have sanctioned a liberal communication of the information contained in them, to this Society. Among the antiquities collected by him, there are many fac similes of inscriptions. I purpose submitting to the Society explanations of such among them, as are interesting: and I now present the translation of one, which appears curious.

I have the honour to present to the Society, three copper-plates, and to submit translations of the inscriptions on two of them. They were obtained by me from the ancient city of Avantí, or Ujain ( Ujjayani), about twelve years ago.

The translations, which accompanied the Sanscrǐt inscriptions on copper presented to the Society by Major Tod, having been made through the medium of an interpreter, I have thought it right to re-examine the originals, at the same time that I undertook the decyphering of a third inscription, likewise presented by Major Tod, but unaccompanied by a translation.

The writer of this paper is fully sensible how difficult it is to discover that which is studiously concealed, under the sanction of oaths, curses, and the (supposed,) impending vengeance of the gods; and how liable one is, even after the utmost care, to be mistaken in tracing the progress of any set of principles and schemes, which the fortunes or lives of the parties who have adopted them are concerned to hide, to varnish, to distort, and to misrepresent. He therefore offers the following remarks, not as the result of firm and unhesitating conviction, but as having a good deal of probability to support them, and as containing the substance of the best information procurable in his situation. He begs then to say a few words on the name, objects, government, initiatory ceremonies, secret signs, and seal of the said association, and to conclude with a few miscellaneous remarks.

In March 1816, I went with two other gentlemen from Fatahghar, on the invitation of the principal persons of the Saud sect, to witness an assemblage of them, for the purpose of religious worship, in the city of Farrukhábád, the general meeting of the sect for that year being there.

Tseang-yew-tëen (Governor of Chǐh-le province), Pëen tsow, i. e. shortly addresses his Imperial Majesty on the subject of the tribute bearer from the Mëen-tëen nation, now on his way from Peking back to his native country. I deputed civil and military officers to escort him safely and diligently. Now the magistrate of Tsze-chow district reports that the said envoy proceeds very well and peaceably on his journey; and that on the 13th of the 3d moon (11th April) he had been escorted as far as Gan-yang-hëen in Ho-nan province, where he had been transferred to the care of the local officers, to continue his progress. It is right that I present this short address on the subject.

Bundélkhund, as its name implies, is the tract or country of the Bundélas; and comprises all the territory, which the Rájás of that dynasty occupied, in the zenith of their power. Thus, the aggregate of the present states of Téhrí, Jhánsí, Dattiya and Simpt'hír and as far as the Désán river, might be termed Bundelkhund Proper: but, the tract lying eastward of that river being also under the dominion of Rájás of Bundela extraction, who are the descendants of Rájá CHHATRASÁL, custom appears to have reconciled the term as applicable to the whole extent of territory occupied by the united dynasties. Following this rule, therefore, the boundaries of Bundelkhund may be stated as follows:—on the north, the river Jumna (Yamuná); on the south, parts of Berár and Málwá (Málava); on the east, Baghé1khund; and on the west, Sindia's possessions. It extends from 77° 48′ to 81° 33′ east longitude; and from 24° 3′ to 26° 26′ north latitude, being 165 British miles in length by 232 in breadth, and containing 23,817 square miles, with a population of 2,400,000 persons.